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PD Tips

Nilotinib (Tasigna) for Parkinsons: Questions and Answers

Nilotinib (Tasigna) for Parkinsons: Questions and Answers. What is nilotinib (Tasigna)? Nilotinib is a FDA approved cancer drug for approved for use in certain types of chronic leukemia. Nilotinib is a protein kinase inhibitor that works by blocking abnormal protein signals which tell cancer cells to divide and multiply. The…

Visual Changes and Parkinson’s Disease

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) difficulties related to the eyes and vision often progress alongside other PD symptoms. Some vision difficulties are related to changes in the movement of the eyeball. These are motor symptoms, similar to other motor symptoms that are caused by loss of…

“Psychogenic” speech disorders: is it all in your head?

What is a Psychogenic Speech Disorder?  A psychogenic speech disorder can be defined as a broad category of speech disturbances that represent the manifestation of one or more types of psychological processes. This can include, but is not limited to, anxiety, depression, conversion disorders, or an emotional response to a…

Tremor Management for Parkinson’s Disease and Essential Tremors

Tremors are involuntary abnormal movements that make the affected parts of the body look like it is trembling or shaking. Some tremors can be rhythmic, some can be intermittent. Some tremors can appear at rest, and some can appear only during functional tasks. Tremors can come in many different patterns…

Something went down the wrong pipe… or did it?

Disordered swallowing, or dysphagia, is important for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and other neurodegenerative diseases, to consider.  This is because most people with PD will develop dysphagia at some point during the course of the disease (the same is true for many other neurodegenerative diseases that we see at…

Physical Therapy Tips for Exercise

Exercise is a hot topic in Parkinson’s disease and additional neurodegenerative diseases because we continue to discover its “neuroprotective” benefit. What does “neuroprotective” even mean? How can all of the exercise research be translated into everyday life activities? What I like to explain to our patients is that exercise can…

Parkinson’s Disease and Muscle Rigidity

Muscle rigidity (also known as muscle stiffness) is one of the four cardinal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is often one of the chief complaints of patients with PD. Muscle rigidity can have an effect on a patient’s ability to complete daily activities including getting dress, brushing their teeth, or…

Tablet/iPad Apps for People with Parkinson’s Disease

Using your tablet or other mobile device can be a great resource for compensatory strategies and training at home.  There are thousands of applications (apps) that you can find by searching on your device, so here are some tips to find some particularly helpful ones. Look for apps that keep…

Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) for Parkinson’s Disease

People with Parkinson’s disease and other Movement Disorders often develop swallowing disorders, also referred to as dysphagia. A swallowing disorder can affect your ability to move food in your mouth or it can affect the ability of your muscles to successfully and safely transport food and liquid from the back of…